Avoiding the Terrorists' Trap

The terrorist organization that attacked New York and Washington on September 11th had a global reach but a local goal. Apart from expressing hatred, it aimed to lure the United States into retaliating in an indiscriminately violent way, thereby inflaming Arab and Islamic populations, destabilizing US allies in the region, and recruiting more foot soldiers into the campaign to “liberate” the holy lands. The American response will be successful only if the United States avoids the trap laid by its enemies.